Brehm to Host Junior Olympic Skills Competition

Brehm is set to host the Official Junior Olympic Skill Competition on Saturday, April, 25th, 2009.

The U.S. Junior Olympic Skills Competition is designed to encourage boys and girls youth participation in sports while promoting sportsmanship.

The event will take place on Brehm campus and include basketball, soccer, tennis and track & field as areas of competition. Participants will compete in age groups 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13. The winners of each event will advance to the regional competition in hopes of competing in the National Finals.

Early registration is encouraged. There will be no fee to register or compete in this event.

For more information, or to register for this event, contact Brittany Morlan, coordinator of communications at 618.457.0371 or bmorlan@brehm.org.

Snow Day!

For the second day in a row, all Carbondale schools, including the local university (SIU) and Brehm Prep School were closed, because of ice and snow.

It was quiet until about 10:30am, then some Brehm students bundled up and ventured out into the cold to have some fun. Everyone loves a good "Snow Day"!

Brehm Prep Basketball Team is Overpowered, But Not Over-Shadowed

On Tuesday, the Brehm Prep basketball team put up a fierce fight against the Covington, Tennessee Chargers.

The turbulent game kept fans on the edges of their seats, with never-ending highs and lows.

At halftime, Brehm was down by 14 points, creeping up to a one point lead in the fourth quarter. In the end, the Bears lost by five points.

"It was amazing to watch," said Brian Taylor, supervisor of boarding services. "They showed a lot of grit to come back in the game, but in the end, it just wasn't enough."

The team still got to showcase their skills, Taylor said. Daniel was strong and fast enough to break down the Charger's defense. Karle took a chance by dunking on the Charger's best player and dominated the court.

The team was led by Assistant Coach Tommy Holder, while James was injured and didn't get the opportunity to play.

The Brehm Prep basketball team will travel to Quincy, Illinois to battle it out with John Wood Community College on February 14th.

VIDEO: Speech-Language Pathologist Shares Brehm Breakthrough!

Click the arrow to watch Michelle Stokes, MS, CCC-SLP explains how a 7th grade student of her's with Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder, has made great progress in only his first semester at Brehm Preparatory School. The student's confidence in his ability to read has been so improved that he, for the first time ever, is no longer embarrassed and now volunteers to read in front of his classmates.

Impressive progress is made daily at the Brehm high school campus. Brehm is a 24/7 family syle boarding school that empowers students with complex learning disabilities to recognize and optimize their full potential. Brehm is an internationally known not-for-profit school that delivers a unique holistic program (fulfills students academic, social and emotional needs) for students in grades 6 to 12.

If you are a parent, alumni, or part of the Brehm faculty, and are willing to share a Brehm breakthrough, please email scostello@brehm.org today.

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OPTIONS Students Prepare for International Travel

This year seven students will have the opportunity to spend spring break in Spain on the
OPTIONS Program at Brehm’s eighth annual spring break trip. The students have been meeting weekly to discuss and review the particular sites and cities we will be visiting.

The OPTIONS students will begin travels in Madrid and work their way south to the cities of Merida, Seville and Cadiz. The visit ends with a tour along the Costa del Sol. They promise to share photos and experiences upon their return.

Olé!

Brehm Students Witness Historical Inauguration

Together, Brehm students packed the Student Activity Center this morning to witness history — the inauguration of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States.


The swearing in today drew cheers and claps, from the students who chose to attend, as they watched the Washington ceremony.

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Southern Illinois Chapter of CHADD is Formed

A new CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) support group has recently been formed in Southern Illinois.

The meetings take place on the 2nd Thursday of each month from 7-9 p.m. at the Knight of Columbus Hall in Herrin, Illinois, located at 213 North 16th Street.

This support group is open to the public to anyone affected by AD/HD. Guest speakers will be present to discuss their expertise and knowledge in the area of AD/HD. Additional resources will be available to answer questions regarding AD/HD, helping those who live and work with the disorder.

To become involved in the Southern Illinois chapter of CHADD, contact Tricia Barron at 618.942.3771 or southern-illinois@chadd.net. Additional information can be obtained through Brittany Morlan, Coordinator of Communications, at 618.457.0371 or bmorlan@brehm.org.

Brehm Alum Earns Place on UTC Dean's List

Congratulations to 2008 Brehm graduate Bryan Barkley for earning a spot on the Univeristy of Tennessee-Chattanooga's Dean's List for the Fall 2008 semester.

Bryan received this high honor through his "commitment to learning, as shown by an exemplary grade point average" and "achieving excellence in his educational program."

Great job Bryan! Your Brehm family looks forward to following your continued successes as well as other Brehm graduates.

To help recognize the accomplishments of other Brehm alumni, contact Brittany Morlan, Coordinator of Communications at 618.457.0371 or bmorlan@brehm.org.

Brehm’s New Healthy Lifestyle Plan a Success

The Brehm family (administrators, faculty, parents and board) meets once a year to discuss the Brehm strategic plan and our progress. We’ve called this important event Parents Strategic Planning.

One of the key recommendations from the most recent Parents Strategic Planning, held this past spring, was that a full “Wellness Curricula” be put in place on the Brehm campus. All areas of the healthy lifestyle plan were put in place by the beginning of the past semester:

• Nutritional value of food was increased
• A low calorie salad bar was installed and fried food was eliminated.
• Portion control was instituted
• Less processed and more locally sourced meat, fruits and vegetables
• A healthy breakfast menu is now served in the dorms
• Reduction of student food waste

Brehm students have been on an improved healthy path for the past semester.

This weekend, at the board retreat, it was announced that the “Wellness Curricula” is working out very well. Overall, the number of students reporting to Brehm nurses has dropped dramatically in the mornings.

This is just one more example of how together, the Brehm family keeps improving on the great Brehm experience.

Brehm Megahurts Gets Marching Orders For Robotics Competition

The Brehm Prepartory School robitics team "Megahurts" received it's marching orders from the FIRST Robotics Competition this week!

FIRST is an annual event that gives students the opportunity to discover the adventures of science, engineering and technology through building robots. This year, the Brehm robotics team will compete against 1,686 teams, a total of 42,000 high school students from 11 countries.

Team Megahurts officially kicked-off their season with a FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) launch-event at the St. Louis Science Center January 3rd, 2009.

The Brehm robotics team of southern Illinois will have six weeks to design, build and operate their robots and will compete in the St. Louis regional competition March 19th-21st. The winner of this event will proceed to the 2009 FIRST Championship Nationals at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, April 16th-18th.

Want to be a mentor for the Carbondale team? Learn more HERE or contact Joe Viscomi at jviscomi@brehm.org.

To contribute, or find out more about your tax deductible sponsorship contact Russ Williams, Brehm’s Coordinator of Development, at (618) 457-0371 ext 1308, or rwilliams@brehm.org.

Do you qualify for matching funds to double your impact?

Many Brehm donors are not aware of the ease with which they might double (and sometimes triple) the value of their donation — all without taking more money out of their pocket.

Thousands of companies and corporate foundations currently match their employees’ gifts to nonprofit organizations such as Brehm Preparatory School. And, when you donate to Brehm your contribution is 100% tax deductible.

It's easy to find out if you qualify for matching funds. Contact Russ Williams, Brehm Coordinator of Development, today:

Phone: (618) 457-0371, ext 1308
email: rwilliams@brehm.org

Chelsea Shares Her Brehm Success Story

“My second home.

Brehm has changed my whole perspective on what family is all about. I’ve also learned to speak up
for myself. It’s given me the tools I need to communicate better and to be more confident around other people.

And, the teachers, such as “Coach,” make my classes a lot more fun.”